Selective Hydrogenation of Cyclic Ester to α,ω-Diol Catalyzed by Cationic Ruthenium Complexes with Trialkylphosphine Ligands

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/cl.1992.1983

Cyclic esters like γ-butyrolactone were smoothly hydrogenated in the presence of a series of ruthenium complexes with trialkylphosphine ligands under mild conditions to afford the corresponding α,ω-diols with high selectivity.The ruthenium complexes prepared in the presence of additional NH4PF6 or H3PO4 turned out to have the superior catalytic activity.